If you like watching people beat the hell out of each other as much as I do and happen to spend part of your Thailand holiday in Koh Samui, you have to make it over to Lamai beach on Saturday nights for the FREE muay thai action. I like staying in Lamai anyhow because it is not as crowded as Chaweng and you aren’t subjected to the sewage gutter smells just walking down the street. But even if you prefer to stay in “little Bangkok,” it’s only a 25 minute motorbike ride to Lamai, so make it down there one Saturday to see the show.

There is a small square in the middle of Lamai populated with lady bars and neon lights—a bit of a red-light district, you could say. The small girlie bars are of the tiki bar variety, and they are all situated around an outdoor boxing ring. Every Saturday, the square fills up with people and there are live muay thai fights for the public.

I stayed on Koh Samui for about three months, and I naturally gravitated down to the square every Saturday to get my fix on violent entertainment. It is good fun. The bars make their money by selling drinks to the viewers, so it’s a good time to grab yourself a few Thai beer and sit back to watch the action.

There’s nothing like the vibe of a Thai crowd watching muay thai, and there is always money being passed around to keep it interesting. Keep in mind that gambling is officially illegal in Thailand, but I found it was always a little more fun if I made 100 baht wagers with my friends on the fights, and I became pretty adept at picking the winners on sight. For me, watching mindless brutality is always a little more fun with some money on the line.

Now, I’ll admit, the muay thai in Samui, and especially Lamai, is in no way top notch. If you’ve been to shows in Bangkok and are expecting a similar experience, prepare to be severely disappointed. But what I like about “Muay Thai Saturdays” in Lamai is the overall feel of the experience. And there’s really a community vibe in Lamai, even if it seems to mostly consist of Thai prostitutes and washed up old guys.

From time to time you’ll see a foreigner get up and box, though it is very unlikely you will ever see them win. And there’s a pretty good school in Lamai, so there’s always a pack of tough-looking MMA guys from Europe and America lurking in the shadows and cheering their buddies on.

For me, those Saturday nights were something to look forward to. A great way to let off that weekend steam (as if I didn’t let off my steam throughout the week). The fights last from about 9 pm to 11 pm, at which point everyone heads across the street to Lamai’s main disco tech. From there, the night lasts as long as you want it to. This is, after all, Thailand.

So pop into Lamai for your muay thai fix when you’re on the island. If you like watching some clean violence of mutual consent and a having a good party with people from around the planet, you will not be disappointed.